Undicesmo
by Nicky2342
Summary: Something goes very wrong with the Future arc as Byakuran gets to Tsuna first, brutally murdering Reborn's protege. With the Demise of Decimo, Reborn must nurture his successor and his guardians, hopefully stopping Byakuran before he goes through with his world domination plans. Or is it as simple as it seems?
1. Chapter 1

There was no way about it. Every cell in my body was screaming as i thrashed at the steering wheel, trying in a futile attempt to avoid the truck that had careened into my lane. Everything smacked of a sickening finality, from the overwhelming headlights to the grinding sound of metal crumpling.

And the next thing i knew, i was thrown face first into the steering wheel.

A green chameleon yelped as the astounding noise of the crash reverberated around the forest, digging it's heels into the left shoulder of it's owner.

Without any ounce of pain from the wound, the mysterious figure calmly reassured the panicking chameleon as it shedded it's exterior skin, transforming into a sleek compact pistol.

The figure knew that the body would cease to function quickly after death. The shot had to be quick, or the window would fall through.

With his tiny frame, it was a piece of cake reaching the scenes of mangled remains. What was left of the car was no more than a metal frame, and what of the body was left entombed in between the windscreen, blood pulsing from the various orificies avalabile.

Lining up the pistol at the corpse, the mysterious figure depressed the trigger, squeezing off a gold bullet, allowing the smoking barrel of the gun to devolve into the chameleon again.

Tipping his fedora, he cast a last look at the scene of the fatal accident, now devoid of it's fatal victim as he melted into the darkness of the forest.

A dull thobbing pain grabbed at my senses as i opened my eyelids, expecting a blinding light and aura of the afterlife. But darkness only greeted my slited eyelids.

Reality slapped me hard in the face as the wooden smell of formaldhyde permeated the nose. I was lying in a coffin, and i was alive! Not certainly ready to go yet.

I balled up my fist as i prepared to bash the lid open, expecting the painful futile response of a solid nailed shut lid.

Not.

The lid went flying, as the colours of the world, which i was so dying to see, pervaded my senses.

"Ciaossu"

"Huh?"

"I see you've come to, Vongola boss"

I propped myself up against the coffin's edge, tumbling clumsily out of the pine sarcophagus.

At my feet, was a baby. A baby dressed in a sleek classic suit out of the 90s, accentuated by the black fedora on his head. Something about him screamed danger, that is, even without the pistol he was holding in his hand.

"Who are you, and what dya mean by boss?"i stammered, perplexed. What did he mean by dead? Had my stumbling ways caught up with me at last?

It hit me. The truck, the oncoming lane, and then the crash.

But why did that stranger call me a boss?

Sakura blossoms littered the general area as i tried to get a hold of where i was. This certainly wasnt home. And the stranger was the best bet to finding my way home, if not the only one.

"Where am i?"

"Namimori"

"Wait what, Namimori?"

The name was familiar... i had read it before.

It hit me. I had been transported into a living fictionalised comic book story. Somehow the crash mustve have something to do with it.

It was time to recall what i've been reading on that darned book, and if i wasnt half dreaming, had been reading too much into it. What was this guy's name?

Ciaossu. Of course.. Reborn. The famous hitman of the Ninth Vongola boss, Nono. It was all falling into place.

"Yes?"

"How did i..-"

"Get here?" Reborn cut in.

Nonchalantly, the assassin raised a finger at my were weighed down, by something. Before the crash, they were empty, save for a wallet.

Cautiously sliding a hand into the trouser pocket, i drew out what seemed like a metallic box, unlike any other box i'd seen. The design and size bore the same dimensions of proposal rings. But the similarites ended there. Emblazoned into the box was the the family crest of Vongola.

"That's your box weapon and ring."

"Box weap-"? i stammered. I knew what they were. The Vongola used them to huge effects in the ring battles, especially Decimo and his Family in the ring battles of the future arc

"But why do i need a box weap-"

The tiny assassin's face darkened as he grabbed my collar, yanking me into a nearby bush.

I didnt have enough time to recover from a mouthful of leaves as the fear on Reborn's face showed why.

A towering mass of iron was walking towards us, leaving a trail of destruction in its wake. Nothing else could disguise the fact that it was sent out on a kill mission, holding thousands of explosive rounds and rockets in it's body. There was no escape. No way to hide.

"Okay" Reborn breathed.

"Huh?"

"We've got only minutes until that thing discovers us."

"What do we-" i yelped

Reborn cupped my mouth as he shot me a murderous look.

"Now,listen. Leon will do what he has to do, right now, and that's to create your weapons"

"Your job, if you want this second reprieve at this pitiful life of yours, is to kill that Strau Mosca." Reborn fell silent, letting the threat linger in the air

"And if we don't kill it?" i whispered nervously

"Byakuran will have to order a second pine box for me to accompany yours". Reborn finished, his lips dripping with a smattering of evilness.

Shit.

With a magician's flourish, Leon set to work, filling the cave with an enormous greenish hue, something that did not escape, the Mosca's attention.

With a mighty grunt, the automated robot locked in on the source of the disturbance.

"Ready your box weapon, it's coming anytime soon" Reborn ordered.

Nodding my head, i pulled out the mysterious box, giving the strange object my full attention. What was inside this box? No matter. It would be out in the open soon.

"I trust, you do know, how to summon your box weapon?

I nodded my head. Whatever it was, my life depended on it and i needed to concentrate. This was anything but play time.

The Mosca was within range now. Surely it would be quick and painless, i thought, as the contraption raised it's fingers

Preparing for the inevitable, i closed my eyes, letting the surging feeling of regret overwhelm my senses as the first rocket fired.

It all seemed to be in slow motion as i recalled. Whatever it was from Leon, flew into my hands, as the rocket homed in on my body. Time to act. i thought, as i popped in the pills.

There was a sudden warmth on my forehead, nothing i needed to pay much attention to as i ducked out of the rocket's path. All i knew was that the way was clear.

With an aura of calmness, i wielded the shotgun in my hands. Whatever it was, it just felt right. Down to the very material and size. It seemed like as though it was made to enhance the user's powers.

Ducking another volley, i followed through, seemingly avoiding each round by the sole power of intuition as i closed in on the Mosca.

Twenty metres.

I slammed my ring finger into the box as i flew past the Mosca. Now wasn't the time to reflect upon the disaster that Tsuna faced. It was simply go deep or go home.

As i circled for another run, i angled my head sideways. The box had yielded a partner alongside myself in a eagle. Was this what was supposed to help kill the Mosca? God save the queen.

"Nata, Cambio Forma"

The eagle was no longer keeping pace with me it surged ahead of my charging path as it leaped into the air. Impressive.

Doubling up in midfight, the box weapon swooped down on the Spas, surrounding it in a bright light, which slowly faded away to reveal nothing like a shotgun. On paper.

Sure, the general design was still that of a shotgun, but there was an ACOG sight on it, along with a lengthened barrel. And the magazine. It was unlike anything i had ever seen before. Scratch that, the whole thing was coated in a reddish orange flame.

Whatever, this thing meant the difference between life and death.

I raised the Spas at the advancing Mosca and pulled the trigger.

A burst of orange flame surged from the barrel as the flame coated projectile homed in on the Mosca, stunning it in its tracks. Shoot. This thing was too strong. What if..

Wait.

The robot reared up as if it was in pain. Clearly something in that shot must have something to do with it.

Reborn smirked as his voice pervaded my senses. "Look at his feet"

I angled my head, getting a good look. Its feet had turned to stone. And it was slowly eating away at the metallic body in a upward direction.

Reborn turned to my shocked face as he explained.

" In normal cases, the sky flames possess a unique factor, in it's abilty to petrify, in this case, turning the Mosca into masonry."

The assasin's face darkened as he clutched the Leon Pistol.

"But in your situation, your unique ability to hold a mixed flame, in this case, the storm deathperation flames , holds an advantage."

I glanced down at the shotgun, trying to take it all in. So what did this mean?

Reborn continued, lazily tucking in the Leon pistol in his pocket. "As you know, the storm flames possess the disharmony factor"

I watched in awe as the Mosca disintegrated, sending pieces of mason everywhere.

"Job done" Reborn smirked, turning on his heels as he continued down the forest.

"Hey, wait for me!" i shrieked, hightailing the scene of destruction as i tried to catch up with the deadly hitman.

There was a little flash to the right as a blade flew past my face. A second faster and i would have been decapitated.

I yelped in surprise as two more blades came flying in succesion, both missing my evasive maneuvers.

"Reborn!" i yelled "Im under attack"

No response. He was too far away. Shit.

The whole forest was plainly empty, but a killer was hiding in plain sight in the massive ecosystem, and if my pitiful life as described by Reborn held true, it would probably end badly.

"Come out!" I yelled, half expecting another blade in response.

"Tsk, tsk." "Such impudence"

A figure coasted down from a nearby branch, slowly emerging from the recesses of the forest. Something about him reeked of familiarity, but i couldn't place it for the love of my life.

Relaxing from his chair, the figure continued. And for the first time, i could see he wasnt alone. A butler was hovering alongside his flaming throne, his feet encrusted in Rain-class flames.

"Prince Belphagor to you, you scum." "Don't you even know respect?"

i twitched. This certainly wasnt my day.

"Aren't you going to bow when you see a prince, boy, or do i have to do it for you?"

Belphagor reached into his outfit, no doubt for another blade as i pivoted out of the way, igniting my box weapon.

"Oho" " So is that puny thing supposed to beat me, i should think not" Belphagor scoffed. "Now, die!"

I didnt need telling twice as the figure released the blade with astonishing speed. No time to react.

Calmly, i raised the Spas, gauging the blade's trajectory as i fired a burst, the vermillion-encrusted bullet hitting the flaming projectile, crushing it into smithereens

"What?" "That's impossible!" Belphagor whined.

Reaching into his belt, the assasin pulled out a box weapon. "I'll see how you play with this, boy!"

Slamming his ring finger into the box, Belphagor smirked as a storm mink emerged from the tiny weapon.

"Go, Storm Mink, Fiamma Scarletta!"

Oh god.

Time to play.

Igniting my ring, i summoned Nata just as the first wave of Storm flames bored down on me.

"Cambio Forma, Nata"

The eagle swooped in on the shotgun as i prepared a retaliatory burst. Which didnt quite go well as the Storm flames made contact with my body first, surrounding me in a burning inferno.

Letting out a grunt, i collapsed to my knees. This was akin to being in a fire, but double the amount of heat of any normal blaze. This was no good. The Storm flames were slowly seizing up my body. I would be toast in a matter of seconds.

"Now, i have you bowing, eh" Belphagor grinned. "I should say, maybe a good dose of humility should go well on your next reincarnation cycle"

Reaching into his belt, the Varia assasin pulled out another box, igniting the weapon as a Electric Ray burst from its hiding place.

"Livya and Mink, Bel Dive!"

The Mink hopped onto the Electric Ray as both of thier flames combined. only that i was trapped and there was no way to pivot out of the way.

"Goodbye" Belphagor smirked, as the dual allies swooped in on my position.

"I should say not" A voice erupted from seemingly nowhere as a streak of blue flames diverted the missile from its intended course.

"Attacio Di Squalo" The voice continued.

I looked up blankly as the Storm flames were vanquished, but not without its effects. From my blurry vision, i managed to make out a darting figure brandishing a katana. In a single movement, he had managed to land a single strike on both the Prince and his butler. rendering them paralysed. Or so i thought, as darkness consumed me.

Light. Bright light. Nothing seemed more lovely than life. But where was i. Who was the stranger that had saved me. And where was Reborn?

"Ciaossu!" As if on cue, the baby darted forward, landing beside the bed from god knows where.

"Reborn!" i nearly cursed there and then, but quickly shoved the idea when Leon started to transform.

"I see the Varia have seemed to gotten some ideas about you, of course, misguided ones."

"Of course," Reborn pointed to the fellow next to him. "Adult Yamamoto made sure to inform them of thier glaring mistakes"

The rain flames, the katana. Now it all made sense, as i popped in a cheery smile at the grinning fellow next to Reborn.

"Hey, thanks for saving my life" i shook hands with him. Boy, was the fellow strong. i grimaced.

"No problem!" Yamamoto grinned as he toyed around with his hair. So this was Yamamoto, the Tenth Generation Rain Guardian whom i thought existed in fiction land. If that was the case.

"Where's Tsuna?" i asked, hoping to meet my fictionalised alter ego in the flesh, missing the darknened looks on both Reborn and Yamamoto's faces.

"Uh, did i say something wrong?" i asked, immediately cursing mentally at my brashness. Had i said something wrong?

"Yamamoto, would you leave us alone?" Reborn turned to the imposing samurai.

"Sure."

Gliding over to the exit, the baseball starlet quietly shut the door behind him.

Reborn tilted his fedora, as he played around with the Leon pistol.

"Um, has something happened to Tsuna or something?" I piped up, hoping for Reborn to shed some light on the matter.

Reborn levelled his eyes at me. And for once, i could see something other than a murderous look in his dilated eyelids. Were they, tears, perhaps? This was impossible.

"Ts-una, died unexpectedly." Reborn breathed, turning away to spare me his anguished features.

"What?" i blustered, experiencing a sinking feeling. Reborn had been close to his student. To have someone entrusted to him die must have been terrible for the arcobaleno. The world's greatest hitman, unable to protect his young charge."

"Yes." "As you know, in the future arc, Adult Tsuna cooked up a scheme to bring the ten years younger proteges of themselves into the future before he died, where the Vongola rings would help defeat the Millefiore Family."

"Technically, the assault would have been a masterstroke , and Byakuran would have been subdued, allowing everything to proceed as normal." Reborn winced. "But however,"

"However?" i pressed.

"Something changed, although i don't know what actually happened, but i have my suspicions" The baby continued.

"Byakuran found the base and brutally murdered Tsuna in a one sided fight." "Even my Chaos Shot only dealt him a hasty retreat, but not managing a serious blow to him"

"Ouch" i winced inwardly. This was certainly rubbing in deep for Reborn.

"Hence," we needed someone else to take the place of Tsuna. Someone strong enough to hold on to the Vongola in its darkest times.

"I apologise, but im entirely, like Tsuna." i countered. "i am a no good clumsy bum like him, why me?

Leon had already transformed into a hammer before i could get another word out.

"Reborn n-" I groaned as the hammer made contact with my head. If this was what Tsuna encountered everyday, in a way, it was an early escape anyhow.

"If you were a bum, you wouldn't be here now" Reborn threatened "Did that fight with the Mosca prove anything to you?"

I sighed, knowing Reborn was absolutely correct. "But can i ask, why me?"

"Everyone was devastated from the death of Tsuna." Reborn explained, "But still, the Vongola has to go on. I was sent out to fathom a list of suitable people who had the potential attributes of the sky flame."

"And that was near to impossible?" i continued, remembering the virtual rarity that the flame presented itself in people.

"Correct." Reborn answered "However, i stumbled onto you."

"Not only did you possess the sky flame, you have the unique additional attribute of having storm class flames as well."

"Wow..Wait.. about the crash, did you engineer it?" i breathed. This was still too hard for me to take it all in.

"No. Byakuran did." The baby corrected. "Remember, he controls all the parellel words alongside this, and he went to absolute lengths to cement his place." "With Tsuna gone, it would have been the final nail in the coffin, until he traced my wherabouts" Reborn winced.

"That no good sonvuabit*ch." i growled. "So how did you bring me to your world?"

"This" Reborn propped up a bullet in his hand. "Byakuran never knew about this bullet." "And for that matter, i believe, that will be his undoing." Reborn smirked."

"Have a good rest."

"Thanks." I grinned "And thanks again for saving my life"

"No problem." Reborn smiled as he shut the door, leaving me to my own devices.


	2. Chapter 2

The following day found myself completely overwhelmed, as Reborn and Yamamoto did their best to make sure I was okay. He had kept my arrival quiet, for some reason, only Gokudera, Yamamoto and himself were the sole people with the knowledge that i existed.  
However, it didn't go smoothly, as evidenced by Gokudera's, almost mocking demeanor.  
"Tch." Gokudera snapped "I can't believe this puny little thing is replacing Tenth."  
This wasn't going to go well.  
"Look, Gokudera, i know you're devastated over the Tent'-"  
"No one calls him that but me!" Gokudera yelled. In an instant, he had his Flame Arrow up, pointed at me.  
"Stop, Hayato" I cried. I wasn't up to his match, let alone, well enough to fight. This was bad.  
"Nicky, stop him with your dying will" Reborn popped up from nowhere as I whirled around, taking two pills into the mouth.  
Urgh. The pills were choking me. But they did gave birth to a murderous aura of sky flames pulsing on my temple.  
"Oh?" Gokudera raised his eyebrow "So you have a dying will flame as well"  
But that isn't going to save you" the right hand man taunted as a burst of storm flames erupted from his weapon, homing in on my position.  
Interesting.  
Ducking into an opened room, I pivoted behind a dresser as the flames made short work of the hallway. This had gone far enough. Giannini would be livid.  
"What?" Gokudera exploded, outraged as he raised his weapon for a second burst, pausing in midair as he contemplated his next course of action  
Wielding my Spas, I stared down Gokudera, earning a few second's worth of time deliberating the best way to act.  
In a way, I was similar to Xanxus. Both of us wielded weapons of a military background and had the Wrath flame, which I had incidentally found out after a bit of research.  
If I had read correctly, Xanxus's pistol could be charged, releasing a deadly burst similar to Tsuna's X-burner. Could I draw on that with the Spas?  
I concentrated, drawing both soft and hard flames into the Spas, flexing my muscles in preparation for the recoil.  
"What is he doing?" Gokudera wondered, his face starting to show signs of worry. "Heck, could do with a bit of Sistema CAI."  
"I'll see what you can do against my bone loops, punk!" Gokudera taunted.  
"We'll see about that," I clenched.  
Calmly pulling the trigger, the Spas bucked as it let loose a burst unlike anything I'd ever seen before. This was way out of the Mosca's flame league entirely.  
The flame had the same projectile core, but it had a darker hue to the other flame, almost bloodthirsty like as it charged towards the bone loops.  
The barrier held, for a second, before disintegrating completely under the intense flame pressure. This was bad. I had never meant it to hurt or kill Gokudera. But to lose control completely...  
"Gokudera!" Basil screamed, pivoting the stunned right hand man out of the way. But the wrath projectile had a life of its own, following the upturned bodies as it bored down on the helpless duo, before being knocked away.. by.. a swallow?  
"Kojirou." Basil breathed, using the respite to summon his box weapon to aid Kojirou. "Just what is that flame?"  
He helped Gokudera to his feet just as the rest of the Guardians burst onto the scene, with Lal and Spanner hot on the heels.  
The mechanic reached for his computer, grinning feverishly at the output of the vermillion encrusted flame registering on his screen. Even the combined duo of Kojirou and Delfino were struggling to extinguish the flame.  
"What an awesome flame" Lal commented. "Who does it belong to?"  
I stepped out sheepishly, flushing with embarrassment as I tried to hide my Spas. God. This was a I-wanna-crawl-into-a-hole-and-die-moment.  
"You?" Everyone looked on incredulously, save for Reborn and Gokudera, who had witnessed the battle from the start  
"Yes." Reborn stepped forward, "He's my newest pupil, from two days ago."  
"And with a shot far less powerful than this," he continued, pointing at the diminishing Wrath flame, "Defeated a Strau Mosca on his own"  
"What?"  
"Reborn, n-!" I cried out, before receiving a Leon hammer to the head. Gah. This wasn't working out too well.  
"Is that true?" Lal squinted, maintaining her dubious persona. This was hard to believe. Yet, no one had even reached that level of flame output yet. And that left the strange person standing before her as the most likely cause.  
"I-er- that is to say-"I squeaked.  
"Say yes already." Reborn raised the hammer as I prepared to duck.  
"Ye- Yes!" I answered, feeling Lal's eyes bore into my soul. Shit, what have I gotten myself into?  
"I want to see that for myself." The arcobaleno turned on her heels. "Report to the training room tomorrow."She added in an afterthought as her fading figure disappeared down the hallway.  
"What." I yelled. Training? I haven't even barely recovered for gosh's sake. Oh why, oh why, did I ever become a smartass and imitate Xanxus. Gah.  
"Nice to see you've got an admirer already" Reborn smirked. "She was positively drooling over that murderous flame."You've potential."  
"What?" I squeaked. God. Oh no.  
"Oh, before I forget," Reborn pressed a box and ring combination into my hand. An orange box with the seven seals of the arcobalenos on it. And the ring, inscribed with the crest of the Vongola written into it, bearing the namesake of Decimo.

"Tsuna managed to get the seven seals just before he died." Reborn explained sadly "So use this to your full effect tomorrow."  
"Or else."  
"Wha-"No.. God. Please save me, I yelled to the heavens mentally.  
"Herbivores" A voice barked. "Stop crowding or I'll bite you to death"  
That voice. Oh no."Hi- Hibari?"  
There was no answer as the figure lunged at me, tonfas wielded in a final display of bloodlust.

Twenty hours later and a extreme beating later, i found myself in a training room. This was no ungodly hour to wake up. No one wakes up early, except for owls.  
"Wake up already" Reborn slammed the Leon hammer on my skull. Hard.  
"Ow!" i yelped. "Reborn, i'll take it as a blessing if you lay off me long enough to live"  
"That's something you should be saying to your trainers instead"  
"What?" i blinked.. "Is there something i'm missing?"  
"Hardly."Reborn scoffed. "Lal and Adult Hibari will be your trainers."Have fun!" The hitman tugged on a panel, allowing it to pull him under as i screamed at my fate.  
"Done enough ranting?" Lal smirked as she slammed her fist into my face, sending me on a welcome visit to the other side of the room.  
That hurt. And i was out of it.  
"Ah moon, the stars, and the very - Huh?" i squeaked.  
"SNAP OUT OF IT" Lal yelled.  
"I will, once i get my hearing back" i grumbled, earning another smack on the face.  
Lal's hands were upon my collars even before i realised i was off the ground. The Arcobaleno meant buisness as her eyes bored down into mine. Realising i had made an error, i swallowed a gulp, before Lal threw me on the floor.  
Dusting myself off , i followed her to the middle of the room, where in the middle of the hall, stood Adult Hibari with a glint in his eye. Not murderous, not mischevious, but a mixture of both. I was in trouble. More than i ever could have been in.  
"Before we start", Lal spoke "I want to assess your abilities." Pointing to a metallic dummy she continued. "Imagine that's the Strau Mosca. I have no other command, except never to hold back"  
"Bu-" i began, but was immediately cut off.  
"No buts" The arcobaleno began in a murderous tone. Complying, i set to work, putting myself into a life-and-death situation as i gripped the Spas, focusing every ounce of flame into shotgun. What next, shocked even Hibari as a raging inferno of Wrath flames blazed from the spout of the weapon. "Nicky, do-"Lal cried out, in futility, as i clamped down on the trigger.  
The explosion was off the scale. I wasn't even sure if i was standing, let alone, the trainers. But Hibari had already even acted even before my fingers had started to work, enveloping the arcobaleno in a protective sphere of cloud flames.  
"That's mindboggling" A squeaky voice erupted from nowhere as Reborn dangled from a lowering rope.  
I groaned inwardly at the extensive damage the Flame Cannon had wrecked. This was going to be some cleaning up session.

Then i caught sight of Hibari's eyes. It was filled, with a murderous intent. Like someone who had completely gone off the rails , i gulped, focusing further upwards. His flame was akin to Tsuna's, flaring dangerously on his forehead. And the intensity of his flame.. Something about it told me i was in for a heck lot of trouble.  
"Carnivore." Was all i heard as the figure vanished.  
A sharp crack echoed around the ruined arena as i fell to my knees, barely aware of the tonfa jutting out of my collarbone. The pain had only flashed momentarily as the soiled weapon jerked downwards, splitting my ribcage open. It didn't matter though, as i was certainly beyond living at that point anyway.  
Casting a dimming look at my spilling appendages, i threw a sad smile at the Cloud Guardian, who had neither seemed to notice, or had been too blinded by his bloodlust to notice as darkness shooed away my pain.

"Awaken, Vongola."  
Slowly, i pulled myself to a sitting position. Was this heaven already?  
For the first time, i noticed the pitch black atmosphere. Was i in limbo, denied entry to the afterlife?  
A flame put paid to the rest of my thoughts, as more lit in succcession, betraying 10 individuals as they stepped out from the darkness.  
For the first time, i could see that i wasnt alone.  
"Ottavo" i murmured, unable to comprehend as i stared at the person next to him.  
"Secondo.."Until my eyes fell on the person next to the Ninth.  
A rueful smile crept across Tsuna's face as he stared down the hyperventilating individual at his feet.  
Flaring his gloves gently, the fallen leader helped the incoherent, shaking mass to his feet, flashing him a knowing smile as he retreated back to his rightful place amongst the ranks of power.  
"Undicesmo" A voice called out.  
I flicked my head up, realising the individuals had realigned in a straight line. And at the far end, a figure had taken the centre stage, walking down the ranks of power he had created.  
Giotto ignited his flame, as he continued  
"Do you, Eleventh, accept the mark of the Vongola Family?"  
Was i truly, the one to take the Vongola Famgila forward? This was a hugely demanding task asked of me, with no precedents to follow. Would i be the one, to make, or break the heart and soul of ten people who had taken it on themselves to see it down the years?  
I dropped to my knees, staring at the gleaming Vongola crest at my feet. It was upon me, to trash the Family with my own feet, or use it to propel it to greater heights. In this situation, my answer was clear.  
"I accept."  
The flames on Giotto's ring increased in intensity, prompting the same within the ranks of power as the Council members faded from view.

Kyoya Hibari was not a person to be irritated simply, by whim or , here he was, silently gazing at the grisly dismembered corpse of Reborn's student. Yes. He had been tricked, by this hapless herbivore thinking that it finally shown it's true colours. No, it did not even deserve to be called a herbivore. It was more of a pretender. One did not simply give a pretender any notice to fufill its ego.  
Satisfied at fufilling his bloodlust, he turned on his heels, bypassing the strangely serene face of Reborn, whose pupil he had just killed, and probably the last hope of the Vongola Family itself, and the shell shocked, yet sympathy etched face of Lal, who was slowly inching her way to the remains.  
It was all for naught, as a pulsating light took hold of the three occupants of the wrecked gym.  
His lips tugged upwards at the corners of his mouth as his nosetrils flared. All he knew, was that his bloodlust was back.  
WIth a vengeance.  
Slowly, he turned apart to face the golden ball of light that had encompassed the remains of the fallen boss.  
Then in a unworldly action that had the three of them riveted to the spot, the body started reassembling itself. Pieces of skin and shattered bones, even the vile liquids, came together to form a shape that the three of them knew as of a few days ago.  
With a notable exception.  
The person that stood there exhibited a large amount of killing intent, much to Kyoya's hidden glee. Although there had been no percivable differences to when Kyoya had inflicted the fatal blow, what captured his attention was not the significiently different weapon he carried, nor that he was donning a pair of gloves that reminded him of Tsuna's. But.  
The Sky flame. As free as the atmosphere itself, it was now burning like the clarity that one expected of the sky when a person looked upwards. The flame was pure, free as a bird, a total contrast to the compressed rage of hellish flames a la Xanxus before the unfortunate incident.  
Yet, Reborn concluded with a knowing smile, it was clear which flame was superior right now, despite the clear differences.  
I cast a look at the gym. It was as though i had never left. Even the bloodstains from where Kyoya had gone over the limit were gone. It was now flowing in his body, together with his hyper intution. Everything felt so pure, carefree, within easy reach. Even killing Hibari could be done with a snap of my own fingers.  
For the first time i realized there was a weight taxing my arms. The Spas still retained its ACOG sights, but the whole weapon was now radically painted in orange. Accentuating the trigger guard was a grip, and a fire selector switch, permitting the shotgun to fire in full auto. But the most striking introduction of the weapon was the magazine. Fiercely emblazoned in its side was the Vongola name.  
And then the gloves took my attention. It was almost an exact replica of the Version I Vongola Primo had, although it had the Roman numeral of Eleven imprinted upon the matte white fireproof coating.  
I slung the shotgun over my shoulder, figuring the gloves would give me a better advantage. The hall, of course, was littered with mini mountains of debris, encapsuling what space there was before the destruction derby had taken place.

Kyoya had a hard time digesting it all in. But yet, he didn't need to fully digest it. What needed to be digested, was his bloodlust in contrast.  
Feeling his body give in temptation, he let loose every last ounce of his killing intent, coating his tonfas not in flames, but his murderous streak.  
It was a battle no one wished to be caught in the middle of.  
Positioning the gloves for maximum velocity, i propelled forwards as the battle for true survival began.  
Hibari raised an eyebrow at the increase in speed the herbivore , he did not make any movement. It would come. No point lunging recklessly headfirst into a battle.  
Finding the weak spot he yearned, he swung his tonfa mercilessly, sending the flaming mass of Sky flames into a retaining wall.  
Stars.  
That was all i knew as another tonfa connected with my stomach, dealing me a extra shot pain i already had been acquainted well with.  
Raising a gloved hand to block the merciless tonfa attacks, i clenched the weapon, focusing as ice began to work its way towards Hibari's hands.  
"Zero-point Breakthrough" Lal gaped, recognizing the technique perfected by Tsuna.  
Kyoya dropped the useless weapons. In twenty years, no prey had seperated him from his death-inducing tonfas. Or managed to, before he bit them to death. No matter. He still had a card left to play.  
Ripping the chains off his ring, he ignited the accessory, plunging the mass of purplish flame into a box.  
Almost immediately, a purple hedgehog came forth from the opened box. Like Kyoya, it was covered in a plethora of purplish flames.  
Taking that as a cue, i did the same, plunging the Decimo's ring into his box, as everyone's jaws dropped at what was introduced.


	3. Chapter 3

At first glance, the box weapon could have passed off for Natsu. But a closer inspection would tell the difference between the Tenth's and Eleventh's animals.  
Although both were still covered in Sky Flames, the Eleventh's Natsu had dark stripes, similar to Xanxus' liger, Besta, although the Wrath flames were oddly bubbling forth with a molten like appearance. After all, it was indeed a wrath flame that had opened the box. But no one knew what would happen.  
Four pairs of eyes were now staring at it in a way that made the box weapon shuffle uneasily.  
"Natsu." I crouched, petting the box animal as it struggled mentally at the prospect of an unfamiliar owner and environment.  
Almost immediately, it nuzzled across my hand, seemingly banishing any reservations it had just a few seconds ago.  
"Now, back to buisness."  
Straightening up, I narrowed my eyes at my opposite number as I flared the soft flames in preparation.  
Hibari though, had neither the faintest idea what his opponent was playing at. But that didnt last long, as the knuckles of his future boss made contact with him, knocking him senseless for a moment as his world turned vertigo. From a standpoint, his boss had vanished, within two seconds, reappearing only to launch a sucker punch. What was this carnivore?  
He was on the ground, looking a little helpless as he stared at the Eleventh's figure, followed by his bo-  
Rolls was lying at his side. Like his owner, he knew nothing of Natsu's attacks. Such was the speed that both the owner and box had no time to attack. Had they come up with this attack?  
Sighing, he exacted a deep scowl as he accepted his boss's outstreched helping hand, walking away from the room and the source of embarrasment as soon as he had gotten to his feet.  
In a way, he was glad that Reborn had found him a strong opponent that he could study and bite to death. If there was a next time.

It was over. I thought as i felt the orange flame die down. Whatever the inheritance was, it did make the difference between the fight against the strongest Vongola Guardian. Although, it had a price to pay as well as i lost focus, welcoming the dimming atmosphere as the best fight against the overwhelming fatigue i felt.  
Lal, of course, had a very strong argument in the form of slapping my unconscious figure as she tried to rouse me for further training  
Of course, my body presented the strongest argument as i laid in the arena, oblivious to the punishment that would have sickened even Reborn.

Lal did not relent. It was understandable. In a few weeks, we were going to be taking on Millefiore's finest. All of the Guardians, including me, were put under strenous regimes and by the time we stumbled out of training room, it was not surprising to find that it was dinner time. The whole day, bar lunch and breakfast was just that. Pure training. And Reborn? His job was to keep us awake, of course with the help of his Leon Hammer. If there was a glimmer of hope amongst the numerous failures, it came in the form of Adult Hibari and Yamamoto regressing into thier ten years younger alter egos, albeit with the Vongola Rings.  
It was no surprise then, when Lal came in as usual, dragging my bleary eyed body into the gym.  
"Something different today." She winked, shoving me towards the ranks of the Guardians that had already fallen in.  
"Juudaime, careful!" Gokudera steadied my falling body as Lal started blabbering on about the box weapons and thier importance in the eventual battle with the Millefiore.  
Box weapons? Right!  
Delving into my pockets, i drew out the two boxes that had been given to me by Reborn. One had already been revealed to be Natsu, although the rest of the guardians hadnt seen it yet.  
What was waiting for me, or us in the other box?  
No one saw me chucking the dying will pills, or the pulsing flame on my Sky Ring before it was too late.  
Something which my hyper intution was screaming as the box opened.  
It wasn't a box weapon. It was like a box monster. Invariably, i hadn't been listening to what Lal had been explaining about, and now, i was, or rather, everyone of us was now the target of the Monster Sky rampage, part two.  
Instinct reigned my actions as i flared my flames. Now wasn't the time to be weak and act all pissy. Although, i allowed a smirk to tug at my lips as i imagined unleashing this monster in the Merone base.  
Throttling my X Gloves, i pummeled at the swirling mass of orange flames, shuddering at the prospect if i had unleashed all of my flames into the ring.  
Nothing seemed to be working. No matter how many punches i threw at the flaming mass, it didn't back down, nearly swiping me. Oh god. This was bad.  
Another blur joined in as i yelped, recognizing Lal's posture. Her weapons were attacking the monster, taking up it's attention as Basil surged into the training hall. The CEDEF were always at the side of Vongola , in troubled times. If this wasn't one, then I'd be damned.  
Taking a look at the monster we were up against, he summoned Delfino, urging Yamamoto to do the same for his box weapon  
"Like this?" His ten year younger self wondered, seeing a spark, and then the bluest flame come to life in his ring.  
"Wha-" Gokudera spluttered, agape that someone had beaten him to the punch. As the right hand man, this was a humilation he couldn't take lying down.  
Focusing his ring, he willed every ounce of resolve into his accessory, yelping in joy as he saw a tiny flicker of storm flames on his ring.  
"I will not be beaten to the extreme!" Ryohei yelled, as his body shivered in excitement at the prospect of taking on the monster. Almost immediately, a yellowish flame surged through his ring, taking everyone by surprise.  
"Lawn hea-" Gokudera gaped, feeling embarrasment rising in his throat as the right hand man stared at his own ring, a tiny flame compared to everyone else.  
"For disrupting the peace of Namimori, i shall not hestitate t-" Hibari began as his ring began to emit a fierce cloud of purplish flames. Not as strong as his adult form, but it was surprisingly close. So it was the killing intent that made Hibari, not his dying will resolve.  
"Bite me to death" i finished for him, suppresing an urge to laugh as a flicker of annoyance crept past Hibari's face.  
On a nod from Basil's face, the guardians unleashed thier box weapons, staring half in wonder as Delfino started to glow brightly in the proximity of all of the box weapons.  
The CEDEF advisor nodded sagely at the dolphin as he leapt towards the monster, followed by Delfino.  
"Basil n-" i began, but i found a firm hand on my shoulder. It was Reborn, flashing a knowing smile.  
Feeling more reassured by the hitman's tone, i turned towards Basil's charging figure, bracing myself for the collision.  
It happened.  
Whether it was Basil's fearsome demeanor, or that of his box weapon, the advisor yelled out what i discerned to be "Super Nova Ocean", before he and his dolphin collided with the monster in a colourful display of flames.  
"BASIL" I yelled, preparing to thrust after the advisor. But it wasnt necessary.  
The flaming orange mass jerked back as it howled in agony, shrinking into the relative safeness of my box as a gleaming Basil looked on, retracting himself from his Hyper Dying will mode.  
It wasn't the same expression on my face though, as Lal and Reborn started marching over to my frozen form.  
Seeing the duo's cool and calm demeanor, i sensed trouble, doing something Dame-Tsuna would be famous for.  
I ran.

It was time.  
Hibari had set off on his solo trip a few hours ago, muttering something about the dangers of crowding. Of course, since neither one of us decided to make friends with his tonfas, we stayed behind, funneling another way into the base.  
Gokudera had the run up with the Yamamoto and Ryohei, something that elicited sniggers among the group. Whatever it was, it was sure to be a bout of explosive teamwork. As for stealth, that was another ball game.  
Pun intended.  
Smirking, i allowed myself a respite as i flicked on the headset, establishing connections with the Vongola base. Partnering my runup was Chrome, whose abilities i intended to use to stay hidden.  
Muttering a soft reply at Reborn's acknowledgement, i nodded to the expectant Guardian standing beside me. It was a go go.  
A security cam. This wasn't going to make it easy. The length of the walkway was totally covered. But the Mist guardian was already on it.  
Chrome glanced at her ring, before silently closing her eyes. In a moment, both of us were shrouded into the environment, protected from a powerful layer of Mist flames. To the Millefiore security, the walkway was as good as empty.  
Supporting the docile girl, a worry tugged at me. Though, she was no slouch, Chrome had not recovered from her organs collapsing. Her flames were the key to maintaining her body integrity. Should she get injured..  
Throwing the thought out of my mind, i wondered for no more as a voice echoed nauseatingly from somewhere.  
"Going somewhere?"  
Blocking our path was a Black Spell member, his eyes focusing intently on us.

We were made.

Hibari let out a suppressed 'hn' at the crowd of bruised Black Spell members before him. To send out such lowly herbivores was beneath him.  
All that dissipated slowly as a figure emerged from the dark recesses of the room, admiring the crowd of the incapacitated troops, before sizing up the lone standing figure.  
Hibari narrowed his eyes as the figure stepped forward. What was unnerving behind the swords he carried was his aura. Something about it seemed to overwhelm his calm nerves. But that was thrown out of the window as he raised his tonfas, letting his bloodlust take over his body.  
"Omnivore."

Ryohei yelled a warning as another billiard ball nearly made contact with Gokudera. The man orchestrating the attacks was formidable indeed. This was going to end badly. After all, they were only teenagers taking on a battle veteran.  
Unfortunately, his foreboding proved to be true. With a single shot from his billiard stick, the Black Spell had unleashed 6 balls, all coated in lightning flames as they hung over limply over the group of teens.  
Ryohei cursed inwardly as he deliberated his next course of action, which was a little far too late as 6 lightning bolts struck the boxer, encompassing him in a sickening display of electricity.  
"Turf top!" Gokudera yelled, bringing his Flame Arrow upwards at Gamma. This had to end now.  
Yamamoto narrowed his eyes as a serious frown tugged at his lips. To attack someone so defenseless was disgusting, more so if the target was his friend.  
He darted towards the Black Spell member, coating his Shigure Kintonki in a mass of rain flames just as Gokudera fired his Flame Arrow, sensing the diversion tactic. His opening was here.  
Bringing the flaming blade to bear, Yamamoto pivoted to the left as he slashed at the Black spell member, forcing him to jump to the right, right in the path of the Flame arrow.  
Gamma yelled triumphantly as he pivoted out of the way of the katana, only for him to recoil in horror as the mass of Storm flames bored down on him, leaving him no chance as the burst caught him fully square on.  
"Did we get him?" Gokudera breathed, barely catching his breath as he ran over to the downed figure of Ryohei. The boxer had some scarring, but was otherwise physically okay, despite his unconscious state.  
"That was clever." A voice drawled from somewhere deep in the explosion cloud, slowly dissipating to reveal a disheveled Gamma. Something was off about him, as Gokudera and Yamamoto took a step back. Sure, he had been weakened, but his tone had taken on a dangerous turn. Had he been holding back all this while?  
"I figured as much, so it's time to play for real."  
Gamma pulled out a box, injecting a mass of lightning flames as he introduced a pair of Dobermans, both coated in electric flames.

Without a moment to spare, Gokudera introduced his box weapon, only for Uri to catch his claws dead on, on the bomber's face.  
Yamamoto and Gamma barely suppressed thier desire to laugh as Gokudera pulled the cat off his face, beyond caring about the numerous scratches on his face as he descended into a livid rage.  
"My turn." Yamamoto smiled, pulling out a box as a bird emerged from within, hovering above the swordsman.  
"Rondine d' Piogga," Yamamoto chuckled as the bird emitted a sing song voice as if to agree.  
"I see a massive difference between you and him" Gamma drawled, casting a mocking look at the Storm Guardian as Gokudera tried to control his box weapon.  
Half out of rage and pure embarrassment, the bomber quickly shot a mass of flames, forcing Gamma to take evasive action, as his twin Nero Volpis harmlessly deflected the burst elsewhere.  
"Oho, getting serious, are we?" Gamma chuckled, quickly dropping the smirk, retracting his billard stick.  
"Now, die!"  
The Black Spell member unleashed a mass of 6 balls, hanging limply in the air. Gokudera though, wasn't fooled as he drew on his Sistema CAI, absorbing the lightning flames. But not for long, as small cracks started to appear on the bone loops.  
"Shoot. I can't fight if this continues."  
Dawning on this realization, the bomber cast a worried look at the Yamamoto, who was trying his utmost to bring down the Nero Volpi's shield, but with little success. Gamma had focused his attention on the swordsman, leaving his weapons to focus on destroying him.  
"Ryohei!" "Turf-" Gokudera bellowed, feeling the bone loops starting to crack under pressure. If it got him.. it would be dangerous.  
The boxer stirred as he started to shake off the aftereffects of the electrical attack, half gaping at the scene presented to him.  
Gokudera was yelling something intelligible to him from within the safety of his Sistema CAI, his voice made intelligible by the numerous clangs of the fierce battle going on between Yamamoto and Gamma.  
Quickly getting to his feet, Ryohei inched cautiously towards Gokudera as he cast a wary eye towards the circlet of billards. They would have to go first.  
Summoning his box weapon, Ryohei prepared to dispatch the circlet when he caught sight of Gokudera's Box weapon lying on its side. An idea quickly flashed in his head as he ordered Kangaryuu to refocus the attack.  
Gokudera yelped as the barrage of Sun Flames quickly scooped up the fallen cat. He had half a mind to yell at Ryohei when a burst of Storm flames suddenly flared from the yellow mass of flames, quickly overpowering the shot as Kangaryuu ceased its attacks.  
Uri, was no longer Uri. In place of the scrawny cat, now stood a bristling leopard, growling menacingly at the billiards as Storm flames pulsed from behind its ears.  
Gokudera gaped at the transformation of his box weapon, although he had no time to further contemplate the sudden change of Uri as an audible crack sounded, telling him he had only seconds before the electric bolts broke through.  
Hissing through his teeth, Gokudera pointed at the electric circlet, needing nothing further as the leopard complied almost immediately, launching itself at the ring of death  
Shocked by Uri's acceptance of his order, Gokudera stumbled out of his CAI, recovering almost immediately as he saw Yamamoto's strained figure, his attacks unable to break through the Nero Volpis' barrier while absorbing the worst of Gamma attacks.  
Turning towards the sound of the explosion, Yamamoto cracked a smile, as did Gamma. It was going to be interesting.  
The three had grown in class, as did thier box weapons. Somehow they seemed stronger as a team as opposed to fighting them one on one. And, something seemed to be off with Gokudera's Box weapon. It had not only grown in size, but it no longer seemed to be attacking its master. Instead, the growl was focused towards him, as with the other two box weapons.  
If that was the case, they could have him at the best of his ability, if that was what they wanted.  
Flaring his Mare ring, Gamma's eyes narrowed as the Nero Volpi's charged at the same instant Uri did, encompassing the three box animals in a giant dust cloud.  
Gokudera held his breath as the dust cloud slowly dissipated, quickly crying out as the unconscious form of Uri came into view, as did Gamma on seeing his unconscious Dobermans.  
Sensing his chance, Yamamoto darted past the Black Spell member, quickly lodging his sword into the man's abdomen before he could even recover from his shock.  
Removing the blade, the swordsman nodded at Ryohei as the boxer launched himself off the ground, unleashing a right hook that sent the wounded Gamma to his knees.  
Barely able to move, the Black Spell member could only watch in agony as Gokudera reloaded his cannon, raising the weapon as it locked onto him.  
"Flame Thunder! This is for Uri, you scum!"  
The three of them watched as a mass of Storm flames, tinged with a helpful dose of Lightning flames erupted from the cannon, homing in on the wounded Gamma.  
The Black Spell commander managed a chuckle at the irony of the attack, before it swallowed him whole, cutting off his guttural laughs as unconsciousness washed over him.


	4. Chapter 4

"Chrome."  
Hearing her name, the guardian looked up at the blazing orange eyes that met hers. It was full of conviction, brotherly love, but somehow it could also deal out death and misery. Pulling herself away, she glanced worriedly at the smile on her boss's face as he wordlessly urged her to withdraw her flame, which she gratefully did as she caught her breath, trying to recover from the burden the mist flames had put on her body.  
She found herself being supported by her boss, away from the dangers, cringing miserably at her uselessness as the two warring partners entered a battle stance.  
Neither of the opponents said anything , adding to the already palpitable tension in the air.  
"Nicky Sim, so we finally meet, patriach of the Vongola, or what's left of it." The Black Spell commander taunted.  
I twitched a little, trying not to rise to his bait as i raised my Spas in preparation.  
"Very well, if you want to meet your Tenth that much, i shall grant you your wish."  
Injecting Rain flames into his ring, the Millefiore commander summoned his weapon. A staff, coated entirely in blue flames, rested proudly in his hands as he darted towards my figure.  
It was time to reap the rewards of my hard training.  
Propelling my right hand with hard flames, i matched his speed, aiming the Spas at the onrushing figure as i prepared to break to the right.  
Three glowing spits emerged from the Spas, homing on the onrushing Black Spell commander.  
Dodging the projectiles with ease, the Millefiore personnel blocked the attack with his staff, granting me the opening i needed.  
Quicking slinging my Spas, i accelerated hard, catching the commander straight up in the jaw with a flaming glove.  
"I dont think i intend to meet my maker so early." i calmly replied, totally missing the oncoming blue staff until it was too late.  
The velocity of the attack caught me off guard as i slammed into a retaining wall, earning a gasp from Chrome.  
Stepping out from his own crater, the Black Spell commander retrieved his onrushing staff in a display of dexterity, though not looking as pristine as he had been before.  
"I, on the other hand, think you may have an inkling though."  
I groaned as the voice filtered into my hazy senses. This was way much harder than what Reborn put me i felt inherently glad for his spartan methods. i simply would not have survived in my original physical condition.  
Using the gloves as propulsion, i emerged from the identical crater as i prepared to take him head on. If he wanted a fight, he certainly had one on his hands.  
A warning. My hyper intution kicked in and not a moment too soon, dodging the oncoming staff by a hair's breath as it returned to its owner's vice like grip.  
"I take that back. Looks like im dealing with a kid"  
Having a staff that acted like a homing weapon was a problem to deal with, for normal people. But i wasn't going to let that affect my ability to keep Chrome safe.  
Propelling towards the Black Spell officer, i grinned inwardly as the enemy released the staff. Now it was just all a matter of timing and guile.  
At the last moment the projectile would impale me, the X-Gloves flared as i brought them up, trapping the onrushing staff as i winced a little at the juddering impact.  
Slowly, i tightened my grip on the squirming staff, flashing a smile at the horrified officer as ice began to form at the base of the weapon, slowly making its way upwards.  
Frozen in place by the Zero Point Flames, the staff clattered to the floor, utterly rendered useless to its owner.  
"And that's what i believe is, checkmate?" i said calmly, trusting the prodding of my hyper intution. It was time.  
With a slight jerk, the stunned officer broke out of his reverie with a frenzied shout,plunging for his box weapon- and stopped.  
What riveted him to the spot was not the serene display on his opponent's face, but the pure flames that were being sucked into the shotgun aimed at him. The Vongola boss was channeling his flames into the weapon, a sparkly pure orange inferno tinged with a dose of storm flames that reminded the Black Spell Commander of Xanxus.  
Whatever he was, he had taken the wrath flames by the scruff of the neck, refining and purifying the flames so they no longer bubbled like the depths of hell. It was almost liquid like.  
This would be his last thought, however, as a concentrated burst of flames erupted from the shotgun, boring down on him.  
"What power..."  
Gradually, the flames enveloped his body, cutting off his guttaral screams of pain as the officer faded into ash.  
With the battle dealt with, i turned around, wheezing as i tried to recover from the attack. The shotgun blast had taken a toll on my body but i tried not to let it show as i approached the smiling figure of Chrome, lifting her up as her mist flames sparked into life once more, concealing us within the environment.  
"Gokudera, Yamamoto, Lal, Ryohei, Hibari... Please stay safe.."  
It was all we had left.

Hibari locked his limbs, trying not to show his exhaustion as he pivoted off another strike at Genkinshi. The two were equally matched in fighting skill, trying to score a hit on each other at the first oppourtunity. And yet, the disciplinary prefect knew that he could not last unless he broke the was a weapon as was rest. Any slipup and he would be killed.  
He took a moment to dart away, sensing another wave of illusionary slugs after him as he ignited his ring. This was a last resort, something he always hated to use, priding on the effectiveness of his tonfas. But he had emptied his bag of tricks, and this was his only hope as irritation filled him. This would end now.  
A purple hedgehog burst forth from the box, landing into the battlezone, much to Genkishi's amusement.  
"So.. What is this?" Genkishi mused, appraising the box animal. It was pretty spiffy, sharp spikes and flames apart, it looked something out of a cuddly toy.  
Still. It was a box weapon.  
Hibari nodded down at the hedgehog, wonder in his eyes as he crept down to inspect the was as if a telepathic relationship had begun, in the mould of Hibird and him. He would have to strengthen the bind though.  
Extending his hand, he invited the hedgehog closer.  
The animal bounded over to the outstretched limb, sniffing and recognizing the familiar scent. Although it was that of his master, his appearance had changed, as though he had winded back the clock.  
All that was erased from its mind, as it felt something warm, almost liquid like dripping down its spine.  
Almost afraid to look up, the hedgehog tilted its head a fraction, widening its eyes in horror at what it saw.  
It had impaled its master's hands.  
Hibari took only a second to realise what was happening as he quickly averted the multiplying array of hedgehogs. Even Genkishi, who was only moments ago, was nowhere to be found as the illusionary facade was shredded apart.  
"Kusabake, get these bodies out of here, i'll deal with it!"  
Hurriedly agreeing, the second in command swept up the unconscious bodies of Gokudera and Yamamoto, foolhardy enough to interfere with the fight.  
Sighing in frustration, he darted away just as a spike narrowly found its mark, embedding within the metal walls of the base. Genkinshi still had to be found irregardless of his box weapon. He had transgressed greatly, disrupting Namimori's peacefulness and that was something he could not ignore, especially if he had someone strong to bite to death.  
But that was the last thing he knew as he felt something slam into him, pivoting his unconscious mass into a steel door.

The Mist guardian tried not to blush as her thoughts went into hyperdrive. She hadn't been in a close proximity with anyone, let alone a boy, and as such was still dealing with her reclusive nature. Mukuro-sama was the one that led her out of her shell, injecting life into her where she should have been dead, crushed by a car. His actions had helped her see the world in a different light.  
All that was going through her mind as she looked up at her boss. In dangerous situations like this, she was nothing but a dead weight, an anchor with limited capability to her protector where ambushes would catch him with his hands full.  
She would not let it happen.  
"Chrome?"  
Her eyes fluttered open, as if the weariness of the camo-shield had taken yet another toll on her.  
"Put away your flames. It's only going to sap you of your will"  
"Bu-" She began, her face displaying a brief surge of anxiety. Why was she so weak? Had she used too much flames on her shield instead of her organs?  
"No buts" I chided, shooting her a reproaching look as she glanced wearily around, almost afraid of traps or ambushes.  
"O-okay."  
Gradually, her Mist flames retracted into her ring as she closed her eyes once more, resting in the protective arms that seemed to echo of Mukuro's.  
Now that we were devoid of protection, i treaded onwards, cautiously, trying to hug the shadows whenever possible. Time was of the essence, but steath was also of paramount importance, considering the dangerous fight with the commander from before.  
A sudden lurch took me off my feet, as i scrambled to steady myself, mindful of Chrome. It was inevitable that i would have the clumsy persona imprinted into my being, but there were times that i had to suppress it.  
Sighing, i picked myself off the wall, taking in the changes in the base as whole rooms flew by us. Just what were the Milliefiore planning? To have a base that they could manipulate against the odds at will. Was something going to happen  
Chrome's eyes flashed open, widening at the danger creeping up behind me, managing a crooked splutter as she pivoted off my arms, halting the weapon meant for my neck with her trident.  
I whirled around, half panicking as the valiant Mist guardian blanked off yet another attack, buying myself enough time to enter my Dying will mode.  
"That's enough."  
I flared my gloves, flashing Chrome a grateful look as she broke off the attack, retreating to a nearby wall to catch her breath.  
The foe was by no means, skilled with his weapons, something that did not escape my attention as he nicked another cut on my cheek. Worse still was that he was proficient enough with four blades, and judging by the indigo cut on his ring, was a skilled illusionist.  
I jumped back as he slashed for my neck, using the midair opening to pivot his outstreched arm, yanking down hard.  
The weapon clattered to the floor as the assassin lurched forward, bringing his kneecap up as he delivered a sharp kick to my abdomen.  
All my breath left my solar plexus as i saw stars, falling to my knees as i tried to absorb the blow. The pain was incredible and clenching my breath felt like my lungs were in a permanent vacumn. There was no way i would be able to fight back, at least like this.  
"Die."  
The swordsman raised his weapon, his eyes so intent on wiping out the Vongola boss, the rewards and recognization from Byakuran that would follow that he did not notice the blood on his chest.  
His body suddenly tensed, as if rigor mortis had set in. An icy feeling was gnawing up and down as something spurted from within his ribcage.  
The colour of the projectile was enough for him as he looked down to the source for confirmation.  
His torso sprouted a trident, its sharp edges carving a neat little line across his chest. Strangely, there seemed to be no pain, even when his innards spilled out, let free by the precise incision of the weapon. As far as he knew, he was way past feeling pain.  
That was the last thing he knew as the trident was yanked out, allowing his unsupported body to give in to gravity.

Haziness swam over me as i tried to breathe. Amongst the excruciating pain, i forced my eyes to focus on the impending blade, trying to garner a response to the imposing swordsman. There was none as a silver of metal protruded from the swordsman's heart.  
Sucking in my battered chest, i slowly rose, meeting the hatred in the swordsman's eyes as the silver of metal made its way downwards, spilling his organs over the once pristine floor. There was no time to take it all in, no time to react as i stood over the dying enemy, numbness paralysing my body as i locked onto the scene produced before me.  
After what seemed like a pathetic attempt to garner a smile, the trident was pulled out, allowing the corpse a final peaceful journey as it slid downwards onto the floor.  
Her hands were shaking. That much i could tell, as i broke ranks with my stupor. Something about the mist guardian reeked of many different emotions. But what was the most tantalising was the intensity of the flame that her ring held. It almost seemed to be on par with Hibari, a murderous flame, fuelled by her sense of helplessness. She was a docile girl, a gentle, an innocent flower, that was now stained by an act of murder.  
Slowly, the indigo flame retracted, dying down to nothing more than an ember as her body shook violently, letting go of the murder weapon as realization took hold of , she looked away from the risque scene with tears in her eyes.  
That much was enough for me, as i collected myself, gingerly embracing her tiny frame as puncutuated, muffled sobs filled the hallway.  
"Chrome."  
There was no response from beyond my shirt.  
Picking up her weapon, i led the guardian towards an empty room, praying that there would be no intruders as i sat the both of us on a nearby couch.  
Gingerly lifting her head, i wiped away the tears, witnessing the raw pain that was consuming her. Something in me wanted to curse at myself. As a boss, i had let my surbodinates down big time. I had failed to protect them as one, and even had to rely on them for protection.  
"Chrome?"  
Her glazed eyes swam back into focus at her name, eliciting a rueful smile as she tried to compose herself.  
"I'm sorry. For failing to protect you, for letting you go through this"  
A thought suddenly flashed across my mind. Mukuro would kill me. Shit.  
"It- It's okay" She winced, her tender voice still raw from the emotional surge just moments ago.  
"Its not okay!" I jumped to my feet in a style not unlike Dame-Tsuna, prompting a tangle of legs as i fell to the floor, earning a giggle from the seated guardian.  
"Oh, kill me now" i mumbled, half turning away to spare myself the embarrasment. Burning a bright shade of red, that's not good!  
Hastily taking my damned self off the floor, i plopped myself back on the couch. Barring my mum, i had never entrenched myself in a proper conversation with a girl before. So there i was, suddenly realizing as more of Dame-Tsuna took over my body.  
It was her turn to smile as she grasped hold of my hands.  
"Thank you, for being a source of.. entertainment"  
I deadpanned, trying not to let my incredulous expression rise to the surface as she delved into a further fit of giggles at the possibly hurtful prank she had just played.  
"Umm.."


End file.
